Hideki Matsuyama ( pictured ) withdrew from the BMW Championship, the second round of the FedEx Cup, due to a back injury.
Matsuyama gave up the game after feeling back pain while warming up before the second round of the tournament held at Olympia Fields Country Club (par 70) in Olympia Fields, Illinois, USA on the 19th (Korean time). With Matsuyama’s withdrawal, Tom Hogi (USA) had to play alone.
Last year’s Masters champion, Matsuyama, drove 5 under par on the last day of the St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedEx Cup last week, and raised the FedEx Cup rankings to 47th, dramatically qualifying for the BMW Championship. However, after performing sluggishly with a 1-over par on the first day, he withdrew due to a back injury that day, and his dream of participating in the final match, the Tour Championship, for 10 consecutive years was dashed. Matsuyama participated in the Tour Championship for 9 consecutive years until last year, which is the record for the most consecutive appearances among active players.
Max Homa (USA) hit 8-under-par 62 with 10 birdies and 2 bogeys, leading by two strokes with a median total of 10-under 130. If you win, you can rise to the top of the FedEx Cup rankings. Chris Kirk (USA) cut 4 strokes two days in a row to rank second with a median total of 8 under par and 132 strokes.
Brian Harman (USA), who tied for the lead on the first day, reduced two more strokes to rank third with Mats Fitzpatrick (England) with a median total of 7 under par 133 strokes. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) was tied for fifth place with Scotty Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Harris English (above USA), and Justin Rose (England) with an average total of 5 under par and 135 strokes at even par.
Lim Seong-jae cut two strokes each two days in a row to tie for 10th place with a median total of 4 under par and 140 strokes. Im Seong-jae reduced 2 strokes to 5 birdies and 3 bogeys, but missed a par putt less than 2m in the 18th hole, leaving regret.안전놀이터
Byung-hun Ahn cut 3 strokes by catching 3 birdies in the second half, moving up to a tie for 13th place with a 3-under-par average. Lucas Glover (USA), who is trying to win the championship for 3 weeks in a row, also reduced 3 strokes with 4 birdies and 1 bogey, and is tied for 13th place with Ahn Byeong-hoon.
Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung, who played in the same group, did not play as well as expected. Kim Si-woo only reduced 1 stroke with a double bogey on the last hole, tied for 29th with an intermediate total even par, and Kim Joo-hyung lost 2 strokes and finished with an intermediate total of 4 over par, tied for 43rd.